Adult Family Care

Adult Family Care (AFC) is a MassHealth funded program that provides caregiver support in a personalized home setting to eligible AFC members. Sometimes this is more beneficial than PCA. This program allows family or non-family members to care for a loved one in their home. Parents, siblings, etc. can receive payment for assisting a family member with personal care. Below are the requirements for AFC. Please note that the “Member” is the person receiving care.

Eligibility Requirements for Interested AFC Member

• Must have MassHealth, either CommonHealth or Standard;
• Be at least 16 years of age;
• Require assistance (including supervision and verbal cueing) from a caregiver with one or more activities of daily living, dressing, toileting, bathing, eating, and transferring. AFC also considers behaviors as an area of assistance;
• AFC member and caregiver must live in the same home;
• There is no income eligibility criteria.

Who Can Be a Caregiver?

• A family member (mother, father, sibling etc.) or non-family member, but not a legal guardian or spouse;
• Must be at least 18 years of age;
• Must be willing to live with the AFC member (member does not need to be living outside of family home);
• Must pass a background check.

Caregivers receive a stipend for the care they provide. This stipend is NOT considered income and you will not be issued a Form 1099. The amount of the stipend depends on how much care is needed by the AFC member. 

There are 2 levels of care:

• Level 1 pays around $9,000 a year, tax free;
• Level 2 pays around $18,000 a year, tax free.

The level of need is determined through an assessment completed by a Registered Nurse.

Adult Foster Care (AFC) and the DESE/DDS Program:
Families who receive AFC (Adult Foster/Family Care) funding are also eligible for DESE/DDS Program participation. If you are currently a DESE/DDS family and have recently applied for AFC funding, please discuss this with your Family Navigator or DDS Service Coordinator, as your DESE/DDS allocation will likely be reduced once you begin receiving the monthly AFC stipends. Guidelines and allowable services also differ for families whom receive AFC funding in addition to their DESE/DDS allocation. AFC families are prohibited from using respite. In addition, the reimbursement categories that can be accessed by these families are currently limited to: 

• Educational materials/reinforcers;
• Community integration activities;
• Community outings.

Adult Foster Care Providers in Massachusetts
​All Adult Foster Care (AFC) providers must meet specific requirements through MassHealth, and if approved, enter into a contract. To learn more about the support offerings, requirements and payment, contact the Massachusetts Council for Adult Foster Care.

AFC Providers

This Provider List can be sorted by provider name or by city by clicking on the corresponding column heading.